Word: baltics
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...visit to Britain in 1982, shortly after the Pontiff survived an assassin's bullet. Since then, almost everywhere John Paul went, new Popemobiles were sure to appear -- manufactured and generally donated by Renault, Peugeot, GM, Toyota and Mercedes Benz, among others. Last week, on his trip to the Baltic states (his 61st foray out of the Holy See), the Pope took along his Mercedes and Land Rover models...
Since the collapse of the Soviet empire, about 24 million ethnic Russians have found themselves living in foreign countries, outside the boundaries of their historic homeland. The hundreds of thousands of Russian workers who flooded into the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia after the 1940 Soviet annexation are viewed with suspicion now, as fifth columnists who are opposed to the nationalist aspirations of the new states. Many Russians have not helped matters any by refusing to learn local languages...
...irony is that few Russians living in Estonia want to secede completely < from the Baltic state. Compared with the rest of the old Soviet empire, the economic reforms that Estonia has carried out in the brief period of independence are nothing short of miraculous. It is the only former Soviet republic with a stable, convertible currency, and the monthly rate of inflation has dropped in one year from 90% to 1.7%. Unless the rival ethnic communities can turn their present dialogue of the deaf into real cooperation, however, Estonia may yet succumb to the fever of nationalism that...
...Western leaders just how big a stake they have in the success of his leadership and reforms. Moscow without Yeltsin could decide to withdraw its support of sanctions in Yugoslavia and instead back the Serbs in their bloody campaign for territory. A new regime could decide to reannex the Baltic states, repair relations with Iraq or refuse to honor approval of the START 2 disarmament treaty. The specter of renewed confrontation with a conservative, nationalist Russia that might attempt to revive the ways of the Soviet empire -- forcing the U.S. to give up the defense savings it had meant...
...Bush administration reaped much criticism, including comments by Richard M. Nixon, for not responding quickly and effectively enough to the challenges facing Russia. Thirty-five other countries recognized the independence of the Baltic countries before Bush and Baker finally acted. State Department foot-dragging on providing economic aid has contributed to Russia's current financial woes. Economic uncertainties have made the threat of a nationalist coup to topple Yeltsin very real...